Welcome to the Campaign Log board for Shakandara: The Renaissance. This board will feature weekly session summaries by me; players are welcome to add additional comments. Campaign members are encouraged to check this board whenever they have missed all or part of a session to catch up with the current status of the party.

"Peace and Prosperity. Qualities that were long absent from Shakandara. With the defeat of the armies lead by the Crymorians, and the rebuilding process well under way, Shakandara's people are enjoying a time of growth, renewal, and rebirth. The Elven borders are once again open to travellers, and long time territorial fueds have been set aside between neighbors. The world has become an exciting and dynamic place to live. But dangers still lurk in the darker corners on the realm. Political intrigue and power struggles play beneath the everyday workings of cities across Shakandara. Remnants of defeated armies use the increased trade traffic to fatten their bellies and gain strength. Even the Crymorians, leaderless and devastated, still maintain small bases of operation in secret. High adventure awaits those who are but willing to step out their front door and seek it. A vast, clean slate awaits the heroes who desire to make their mark upon it."

Excerpt from the Renaissance Primer
Tuesday, November 2nd 2004 - 07:36:44 PM

"While at the Inn, a message arrived by courier for Rian. Rian read his, then shared it with the group; the letter was a warning from Nadyther at the Temple of Gaelic back in Tyrsis. Word of their troubles had reached his ears by way of Gidlars, and he offered information regarding the Gift of Life. He cautioned them to be careful, as he felt they were being swept up into something deep and dangerous. He also included a letter that had arrived in Tyrsis for Elondra.

Feeling the pressure of finding Persephone as quickly as possible, the group discussed means to reach her with due haste. Deciding her lead on the party was too great for conventional travel, they considered magical transportation as a means to arrive more quickly in Bartertown. When it was discovered that the expense of traditional arcane magics would be high, and quite possibly hazardous to the party, Elondra suggested contacting her new acquaintance from the ball. She visited Arabith in his alchemical shop in the old city, where he told her that not only could he arrange for transportation for them at a more reasonable price, but that he could perform such a ritual himself. She had him begin on the preparations while she returned to speak with the party about the cost.

The rest of the group pursued some shopping needs for future crafting procedures. Oak procured a custom-made great club for use with one of Shergosh's spells. Upon returning through the New City, he came upon a boy hawking papers. He purchased one when he heard it had information about the murder of the sage Villorian. As he read the article, he began to suspect that Shanys might have had some involvement in it, due to the new vest she had been wearing since the time of Villorian's murder.

As the group gathered at Arabith's shop to teleport to Bartertown, Oak showed the paper to Elondra and expressed his concerns. They confronted Shanys, and at first she was evasive over the topic. Elondra then used divination magic to determine whether or not she was speaking the truth. When she'd established that Shanys was lying to direct questions regarding involvement in the killing, a heated argument broke out. Oak stormed off, refusing to be around a person of Shanys' character. He was not seen from again.

Elondra took off to take a walk and clear her head. While she did, the rest of the group decided to head to Bartertown. Rian remained behind to wait for Elondra's return and decision about whether or not to continue with them. She returned shortly and spoke with Rian, seeking his counsel. He offered little, other than that she should make up her own mind concerning Shanys' actions. Finally deciding to continue on, Rian and Elondra were suddenly attacked without warning in Arabith's shop. Both were incapacitated.

The remaining members of the group were about to move on in to Bartertown from their teleport site, figuring that the rest were not coming, when a rolled piece of parchment bound by a ring appeared with a *pop*. Reggi recognized it as the ring that Rian had given to Elondra only days earlier before the Ball. The note had a dire message of warning on one side, indicating that both Elondra and Oak had been taken prisoner. It further went on to say that they would both be killed should the group continue their pursuit of either the Valley of Life or their friends. On the back of this note was a quickly hand-written note signed by Rian indicating that he had no such intention of letting them take Elondra. He was going to find her and Oak and return to the party when he could. In the meantime, he wanted them to find the Valley and the Gift more than ever, to get to the bottom of whatever plot was brewing.

Thus ends Session 39."

The GM
Tuesday, November 2nd 2004 - 08:10:29 PM

"Standing on the cracked mud of the salt flats surrounding Bartertown, the group decided there was little choice but to head in to town to seek Persephone and the knowledge she might possess. As they approached the town, they noticed that it was little more than a collection of shacks, tents and wagons surrounding a few real permanent structures. The entire ramshackle collection rested on top of a low bluff. As they entered, they noticed that the traffic on the streets was still light in the waning hours on the day, and that the population was a mix of races, with humans outnumbering dragori only slightly. Horses were conspicuously absent, but many camels and even a few large riding lizard of some kind were noted.

Finding a tavern, everyone but Shanys entered. Reggi and Kraggin both ordered drinks from the bar; Reggi also inquired after Persephone, but the ‘keeper claimed not to know her. Liveah, the newcomer to the group, grabbed a table, and they sat down to watch the crowd for signs of Persephone. They noted a metallic, mineral taste to the ale, likely a result of the poor water quality in the area. After spending some time with no further luck in locating Persephone, they decided to inquire where to find lodgings. They were recommended to the Merchant’s Way, a short distance down the street.

The group found the inn, a decent-sized wooden structure, with ease. They procured the large common room for the entire group and settled in to rest. In the morning, they went in search of some supplies to prepare for the desert. In the center of town, all the main streets met like the spokes of a wheel around a well. On one of the corners, the group found Fordham’s General Outlet, a stone, timber and adobe construction building. The store was well-stocked with all manner of basic supplies: food, tents, rope, barrels, weapons, armor, and more. A woman, Henrietta, and her two children, Ed and Regi, hustled around the store, assisting customers. The group inquired about some specific needs, and Henrietta was able to show them two pieces of magical gear she had available for trade or sale. They were able to broker a deal with the mace of shock and silver rapier they’d recently acquired for a haversack and a pair of goggles of night. They also purchased some desert clothing. Henrietta also indicated that she knew of Persephone, but had not seen her recently, nor was she aware of where she might be staying if she was in town.

The group headed over to the marketplace to see what else they could find, as well as possibly unload some of the spare gear they were carting around for more conveniently-transported wealth. They did find a vendor with a ring of sustenance for sale, but they were unable to meet his price. Instead, they sold off much of their unneeded masterwork gear and received a pink pearl necklace in return. Reggi and Sergosh returned to the inn, as Reggi had spells she wanted to scribe, and Sergosh desired to enchant his full plate armor. While they worked on their personal projects, Liveah, Kraggin, and Shanys spent some time looking around further.

While Shanys wandered the streets, she noticed someone following her. After playing cat-and-mouse with the stalker, Shanys finally contracted the female elf at the Merchant’s Way. The elf sternly told her to stop seeking Persephone. Shanys explained a bit of why the group sought her, and the elf agreed to arrange a meeting later that evening for a single member of the party. Kraggin was volunteered to make the trip, and at the appointed time, he was met by a different female elf. She introduced herself as Si’Rene and told him to follow her; Kraggin noted that she wore an exceptional blade made of hizagkuur as she led him off. Stopping in an alley a short distance away, she blindfolded him, spun him to disorient him, then led him for some distance. Finally, they entered a building through a door, and his blindfold was removed. Persephone sat in a chair at a table inside the small adobe building. Kraggin and Persephone spoke at length about their respective reasons for being in Bartertown, both glossing over the details their goals. Persephone offered to let the group accompany her as guards, but offered no guarantees that she would be able to aid them in their quest. Their business complete, Kraggin was once again escorted back to the inn, this time by both Si’Rene and Amiryth.

Thus ends Session 40."

The GM
Friday, November 5th 2004 - 11:45:36 AM

"After Kraggin recounted his dealings with Persephone, the group decided they would accompany her anyway, in the hopes that her explorations would lead them where they wanted to go, or at the very least, provide some clues to the Valley of Life’s location. They bedded down for the night to rest, and in the morning Si’Rene returned to get their answer. She informed them that the expedition would be leaving in the late afternoon, and they could make whatever preparations they needed until that time.

Shanys requested that Sergosh use the diamond dust she’d purchased to enchant her new suit of form-fitted leather armor. While he was performing the task for her, Shanys and Reggi went in search of a buckler in the market at Sergosh’s request. After some searching, they located a few fine examples, but one of exceptional quality that caught their eye. They traded in Sergosh’s old exceptional chain shirt along with a number of coins to get the mithral and steel buckler emblazoned with a spider web pattern. Sergosh was pleased when they returned with it. Reggi then set to work on another spell.

At the appointed time the group was met by Amiryth and lead to the outskirts of town, where the expedition’s caravan was assembled. They quickly became aware of a problem they’d not considered; Shanys would be unable to ride in a cart across the desert, as the entire caravan was traveling by camel. Persephone was a bit concerned over the reasons for Shanys’ inability to ride a camel, and there was a brief discussion over what could be done. Finally, it was determined that Shanys would have to walk, a grueling prospect. However, with the lightened load, Persephone was able to load more water upon the camel Shanys would have ridden. With the adjustments made, the caravan departed, traveling into the night by moonlight.

When it finally began to grow too cold to comfortably travel further, the group made camp. During the first watch, Kraggin and Reggi were surprised when the massive form of an earth elemental made of sand rose up from the ground and attacked, accompanied by an ogre sorcerer. The elemental laid Kraggin low before he had much opportunity to harm it, and the battle went poorly from there. Si’Rene and Amiryth engaged the elemental while the rest of the group attempted to deal with the sorcerer. Shanys was blinded by one of the ogre’s spells. Si’Rene was effective against the elemental, singing in ancient elven as she stuck with her blade again and again, but she could not withstand its attacks, and soon fell. The elemental struck down Amiryth with a mighty blow, and all appeared lost. Reggi then pulled forth the piece of a fallen star she’d picked up in the Wizards District in Bluffside and used it in the casting of electric loop on the elemental. The power of the fallen star unlocked the energy of a meteor swarm within her, and she immediately released it upon the elemental, destroying it. When she demanded the surrender of the ogre, it fled into the night. Being in little condition to pursue with three members of the expedition unconscious on the ground, the group let him flee into the darkness.

Thus ends Session 41."

The GM
Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 02:35:45 PM

"Tapping into their reserves, the group used much of their clerics’ spells to repair their wounds from the combat. Finishing out the short rest, they rose again in the early pre-dawn hours to begin traveling once more. Shanys collapsed from fatigue during the morning, after which the group became much more careful about consuming sufficient water to prevent dehydration. As they traveled, Reggi learned from Amiryth and Si’Rene that, while difficult, it was possible to discipline herself to regain some of her arcane energy on the shortened rest schedule they were using. On her very first attempt the next time they stopped for rest, she was successful. After resting, Liveah was able to cure Shanys’ blindness, as well as protect the group from some of the effects of the desert with magic.

As they traveled, Persephone related what she knew of their destination, explaining that much of information regarding the Apotec Empire and its capital of Hotepma was little more than rumor, myth, and legend. However, having visited some of the ruins of other Apotec cities in the past, she believed that the map she purchased from Denis would lead them to the region of the lost city of Hotepma. The challenge would be to locate its exact position, as it would likely be little more than ruins buried beneath the sand.

They rested again in the cold darkness of the desert night but were not attacked this time. Moving again before sunrise, in the early morning they encountered a dune delver that burst forth mouth-tipped tentacles from the sand beneath the party, attempting to swallow them. It managed to swallow Si’Rene with one of these appendages, but the group reacted quickly, cutting her free from its clutches. With the creature beaten back, the expedition quickly moved on its way, finally camping again to avoid the heat of the midday.

Their travels that evening were uneventful, and they finally stopped at the Zurikas Oasis. There they were able to resupply their water, even finding some fresh desert fire berries to eat on the shrubs surrounding the watering hole. They rested well at the oasis that night, pushing on again in the morning. When they stopped to rest again the afternoon of their third day, Persephone let the group know that they were now within the area where Hotepma should lie. With little in landmarks to determine position and only an old map to navigate by, there would be little option but to search in an ever-widening circle. Liveah called upon Propheras for guidance, but the goddess’ answer was cryptic, saying only that they would find what they sought in the white palace beneath the sands.

After resting for the afternoon, Shanys pulled out her spyglass to assist in the hunt as they began the search for Hotepma. After several hours, she located a block of white rock partially buried in the sand. Digging around the block revealed it to be nothing more that a single stone, most likely carried away by the drifting sands from its original structure. They continued their search, and after several more hours, Shanys spied another block. This time, the excavation was more fruitful, revealing a number of other blocks as well. Sergosh summoned an earth elemental to explore the immediate area, and it returned to confirm that there were indeed more structures beneath the sand in the area. Persephone produced a staff that Sergosh immediately recognized as a staff of earth and stone. She turned it over to Amiryth, who then evoked the power of the staff to move back massive amounts of sand, exposing more of the buried stonework. Much of the sand filled back in to the area it was moved from, so again Amiryth used the staff, moving even more sand. Much to Persephone’s chagrin, no intact chambers were exposed, so Amiryth used the staff a third time. Finally, a partially collapsed passage was revealed, jutting out from the base of one of the large sand dunes. Kraggin inspected the entry area of the stone and deemed it safe to enter.

Thus ends Session 42."

The GM
Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 03:10:50 PM

"With Shanys on point, the group began exploring the ruins Persephone’s staff had unearthed. The first chamber they entered was circular but partially collapsed. Bare of anything other than a few pedestals, the room appeared to have been an art gallery at some point. An antechamber to one side also appeared to be a smaller, secondary gallery. However, as with the larger room, it was bare too. Two doors lead from the antechamber, both with locks that showed evidence of having been picked at some point. One of the doors opened to reveal a room that was empty except for a set of stone drums and a large rolled carpet. The group determined that the drum were ancient dwarven war drums – heavy, but quite valuable. The rug showed signs of age, but was still in excellent condition. Unrolled, it depicted a verdant field with a large tree in the center. Persephone speculated that the ruins had been looted of its treasures in the past, with these larger, heavier objects being left behind in favor of more easily transported items. Past the other door was an empty room partially filled with sand from a collapse; Liveah spent some time digging through the sand and recovered a brazier.

To the opposite side of the main gallery, the group found a large, partially collapsed hall with a vaulted ceiling and geometric shapes covering the highly arched surface. Along the walls, broken corroded bolts were all that remained of tapestry hangings. Two doors, both with their locks destroyed, lead from the hall to empty rooms, devoid of all but the rotted and broken remains of furnishings. The second of these rooms had a doorway leading off from it to another room, the door of which was apparently stolen. Partially collapsed, this room had a second doorway (also doorless) that led into a collapsed corridor.

A small tunnel led into the rubble of the collapse. Shanys led the way in exploring it first, but quickly retreated after encountering a monstrous bug-like creature that wounded her severely. The group moved back into the tunnel with Kraggin in the lead and fought a difficult battle, complicated by the arrival of a second creature. Once the beasts were slain, the group had a chance to examine them further, noting their bright blue coloration. Persephone identified the creatures as cerulean ankhegs, a rare but deadly desert inhabitant. Exploring the tunnel system, they found the lairs of the two creatures and discovered a number of discarded treasures of their former victims. Regi determined that some of the items were even magical.

Thus ends Session 43."

The GM
Wednesday, December 29th 2004 - 12:02:45 PM

"Wounded and weary from their battle, the group retreated to the room containing the stone drums to rest. During the night, they observed ghostly forms moving about. After studying them for sometime, the conclusion was drawn that they were some sort of apparition of the long-dead Apotec inhabitants of the city. The apparitions seemed completely unaware of the group, and the group found it impossible to interact with them. The group returned to their rest, but when they awoke, they found their sleep was less restful than they’d hoped; each was plagued with disturbing dreams and fitful sleep.

Returning to the tunnels of the ankhegs, they proceeded deeper into the complex. The tunnel emerged into a room filled with stone planters. Each of the 10 planters was filled with dirt, but nothing grew in them. An elaborate fountain system, long-ago dried up, seemed to be designed to water the plants held in the pots. The ceiling above was nothing but sand, leading the group to believe that it was actually a permanent wall of force holding back the sand. Two passageways exited the room, one directly opposite the tunnel and one to the right. Shanys stepped into the room to examine one of the planters and was enveloped in a flicker of red light. She felt her life essence sucked away as this happened, and she retreated into the tunnel again. Some noted that the brief flicker of red light appeared almost like a plant. Suspecting some sort of undead and incorporeal plant, Sergosh called upon the power of his god to turn them back. It seemed to be successful, and the group proceeded to go down the corridor directly ahead.

Shanys scouted a number of corridors, finding some collapsed, and a number with doors. One such corridor even led to a hall with a series of stone statues of great warriors. Deciding that it would be more prudent to explore the areas they’d already passed before delving any deeper, the group returned to the room with the planters. Sergosh again called on the power of his deity to clear a path should there be any further spectral plants, and the party proceeded down the side passage. Inspecting the first door to the right, they found a mostly collapsed room when they opened the door, spilling sand into the hallway.

The door on the opposite side of the hallway was locked and still in fairly good condition. Shanys was able to pick the lock, opening the door to reveal a library of sorts. Sadly, all of the books save a few were brittle and faded beyond use. The group salvaged what they could and move further down the hall to the next door on the left. This one was also still in good condition and locked. Shanys opened it as well, revealing a study of sorts, complete with a realistic statue of a bound and chained woman and a large armillary sphere. A doorway connected the room to another, through which a horrid creature of death emerged. The fell gaze of the bodak slew Si’Rene before she could even act, and Shanys, Regi, and Persephone retreated into the hallway. Sergosh, Liveah, Kraggin, and Amiryth engaged the creature, eventually bringing it down. A thorough search of the second room revealed it to be a lab, complete with old glass containers, equipment, and dried out reagents. A small box also contained a lump of some unknown metal.

Thus ends Session 44."

The GM
Wednesday, December 29th 2004 - 04:51:03 PM

"Fearing that Si’Rene would rise again as a bodak, the group discussed their options to prevent it from happening. Persephone informed them that she possessed a scroll of raise dead, but had only one for such emergencies. It was decided that they would retreat to the camp outside, attempt to get some better sleep, and try to raise Si’Rene from the dead in the morning. Fortunately, rest came easier on the surface, and they group woke feeling rested. Reggi used some of the time to work on identifying the treasures they’d retrieved from the cerulean ankhegs’ lairs. Liveah used the scroll from Persephone to bring Si’Rene back from the dead. Once the group was again prepared, they re-entered the ruins.

As they entered the tunnels through the lairs of the ankhegs, they were surprised to be attacked by the corpses of the creatures. Liveah and Sergosh found it very difficult to turn back the animated creatures, and the group was forced to destroy them through combat. Emerging in the arboretum, they paused to allow Amiryth to scan to room to see if the spectral plants had returned. She detected none, other than those that previous existed in the far end of the room, so they proceeded back into the right-hand hallway. They again entered the study and laboratory, checking to make sure that the bodak was still dead, then proceeded through the door from the laboratory back into the hall.

Across the hall was an open doorway, and beyond was a room that looked like an office or sitting area. Several pieces of furniture, books shelves, and a desk were arranged in the room. Along the left wall there was also a door. On the wall facing the doorway was a large painting of a middle-aged man in dark, symbol-covered robes. A small, jeweled statute of a dragon perched on the desk. After some searching, Sergosh discovered a book that had remained intact. Upon picking it up, he suddenly discovered he had the ability to read the cover, entitled “Of Magical Energies and Their Relations.” The inside cover was marked with the author as Yarkul the Gifted.

As Persephone, Reggi, and Shanys examined the painting, they were able to determine that while the frame was in poor condition, the canvas itself was still in good shape. Be removing it from the wall, they were able to find a title on the back, that of Yarkul the Gifted, the same as the name in the book. Further, when removing the picture from the frame, some writing was also discovered on the edge of the canvas hidden by the frame. The words, in draconic, read as “dracorum edrudictae.” When Reggi spoke them aloud, she felt a sensation sweep through her mind, and the metallic dragon statue animated and flew to her shoulder, the epitome of grace in flight. A voice in draconic asked her for instructions; she gave it the order to protect her.

The group then moved through the door into a small but well-appointed sleeping chamber, complete with bed, nightstand, and wardrobe. The bedding was once fine, but had not survived the ages well. Likewise, the wardrobe was filled with rotted and tattered clothing. However, notable among them was a robe of the same design as the one in the painting from the previous room. A second door, this of better construction and still locked, led back out into the hallway from the small room.

Across the hall, they entered another room that had the remains of a decrepit table and some broken chairs in it. In the back corner of the room, a spiral staircase lead up, but was choked with rubble, debris and sand. Turning around, the group went back out into the hall, following it around a corner to another collapse. Just before it, however, was another door. Unlocked, they entered the room and found it to be some sort of a living area, including a bed, chair, desk, and other items. All were of a lesser quality than those found in the other rooms in the area, but did show signs of having been disturbed.

Returning to the room with the staircase, Sergosh attempted to unblock it, only to disturb a swarm of skeletal rats. These swept out and attacked the group. Once again, Sergosh and Liveah found the undead difficult to affect. With some effort the horde was dispatched anyway. Unfortunately, the attempt to clear the stairwell had failed; more rubble had fallen back into it, keeping it blocked. It appeared that they could go no further in this area.

Thus ends Session 45."

The GM
Monday, January 3rd 2005 - 10:31:32 PM

"Seeing no further area to explore here, the group again turned its attention down the long hallway leading deeper into the ruins. Turning their attention to the first room of the series to their right, they entered it to find an austere but finely appointed military-style room. Faded and tattered maps covered the walls, and everything within was in poor condition except a suit of armor standing in the corner. It was complete with a shield and sword, and looked unlike any suit of armor they’d ever seen before. Shanys began carefully exploring the room, but when she approached the armor, it attacked. When it became apparent that the animated armor was aggressive and difficult to damage, they retreated from the room and closed the door behind them. However, it pursued them into the hall and they were forced to continue to battle it as it knocked down three of the group over a number of rounds. After a protracted battle, they were finally able to bring it down, only to discover that inside the suit of armor was some sort of skeletal warrior. Sergosh inspected the armor and shield and found them both to be of an unknown material and advanced design. Unfortunately, it appeared that the advanced design would also make it difficult to properly use the armor or shield without some serious training and practice.

Physically beaten and again in need of rest, the group returned to the base camp to heal again. Upon returning to the ruins, they were rudely surprised to find that the spectral plants had retaken the area that they’d cleared before. Shanys was once again affected by their life-draining power. Liveah turned the power of Propheras upon them, driving them back once more and clearing a path to explore the ruins again. Returning to where they’d defeated the armored skeletal warrior, they began searching the other rooms in the area.

The next room in line had walls covered in heavy black cloth and appeared to be some sort of a torture chamber, complete with ancient torture devices that showed signs of having been used at one time. On a desk, they found a hutch with a number of sets of rusted keys. Beyond a locked door they found another collapsed corridor.

The next room seemed to again have a military style to it, however this time it seemed designed for two occupants. Two chain shirts, still in excellent condition, hung from armor stands in the corners of the room. A large painting of a battle hung on the back wall between the two beds. As they explored the room, they discovered a desiccated body propped up in the back corner, hidden behind one of the beds. As they moved forward to inspect it, a wraith struck at them from beneath the bed. It was quickly dispatched and they were able to resume their search. On the body they found a book written in elvish; it was the personal journal of the elven historian and explorer Shyrinn Pathminder. Shyrinn had gone missing over a decade before while exploring the desert; the journal detailed all of his exploits, including his final ill-fated expedition that left him trapped within the ruins. The book also shed some light on to the nature of ruins and the undead they’d encountered, giving them cause for concern that the ruins might well be cursed.

Thus ends Session 46."

The GM
Wednesday, January 12th 2005 - 03:57:54 PM

"Continuing down the hall, the group entered a room that appeared to be some sort of war room. Tattered and faded maps covered the walls, and there was even a large map with a number of marker pieces on a large table. It was determined that half of the pieces were made of silver and crafted to appear as Apotec warriors. The remainder were cast in bronze and appeared to represent Dragori. A thorough search of the room turned up a secret door. Unable to find the release mechanism for it, the group was forced to have Regi use a spell to unlock the door. Inside, they discovered a hidden armory filled with preserved weapons and armor. All of the gear was of exceptional quality; a few of the items were even made of superior materials or magical as well. Persephone produced a portable hole to allow the group to load as much of the well-preserved gear as possible into it; many also took the opportunity to outfit themselves with some of the weapons from the cache.

Moving further around the hall, they inspected the next room. Sergosh moved abruptly into the room and Shanys closed the door behind him. She reopened it a moment later, but by then the damage had been done. Sergosh was locked in combat with a number of shadowy black shapes that made continuous babbling sounds, as well as being grappled by a hideous mohrg. Sergosh was able to break free of the mohrg and use the power of his god to destroy several of the shadowy forms. The group quickly dispatched the remainder, and then the mohrg as well. Shanys and Sergosh engaged in a brief verbal battle over the incident, with Persephone finally intervening.

Moving back into the main hall, the group investigated the room with the double doors, finding it to be another armory. However, this one was larger than the secreted one discovered earlier, and all of the gear found was worthless, rusted and ravaged by age. They closed the door and moved on.

Deciding that the hall with the stone warrior statues was the next best place to investigate, Regi began checking the hall for traps. When she moved in to investigate further into the hall, the first two statues animated, stepping down off their pedestals and striking at her with their large stone swords. She quickly retreated, finding that as soon as she exited the hall, the statues returned to their pedestals and stopped moving.

Thus ends Session 47."

The GM
Wednesday, January 26th 2005 - 11:00:06 AM

"Unsure of how to deal with a hall full of animated statues, the group decided to explore the other areas around the hall before pursuing it further. In each of the side hallways, they found a number of rooms equipped as basic sleeping chambers, mostly likely a barracks or garrison of some sort. Among the decrepit beds, they found some personal effects including clay mugs, a rusted dagger, some divination stones, and a bone map case.

Moving back out into the main hallway, they decided to see how much further it would go before attempting further interactions with the statues. The room at the end of the hall turned out to be both empty and partially collapsed. The hallway turned at this room and continued further before turning again, this time into a series of overlapping circular rooms. These were filled with a number of combat and training devices and targets. The last of the three rooms also had a wide circular staircase ascending along the outside wall, but the area above had collapsed, choking the stairway with debris and making it impassible. In searching the rooms, among the ancient equipment, the group did manage to find an ironwood club and a steel dagger that were both still in good condition.

Returning to the hall of statues, they settled in to determine if there was a way to defeat the statues or bypass them entirely. The group spent some time experimenting with the properties of the room and the statues, coming to the conclusion that the statues were activated when something living passed the threshold of the hallway, as Regi was able to send the metallic dragon construct to the far end and back again safely. They also posited that there must be some sort of command, item, or symbol that would allow safe passage through the room. They wracked their brains and re-inventoried all they’d found before coming to the conclusion that the bronze signet ring they’d recovered from the heavily armored skeletal warrior might be the key they’d been searching for. Shanys slipped the ring on and entered the hall. Finding that the statues did not move to attack her, she further explored the hall, moving to the far end and then returning. She noted an area of a potential trap on the ceiling but was unable to disable it due to its location.

After reporting back to the group, Shanys again cross the room, proceeding beyond the hall into a second hall, this one slightly smaller but also statue-lined. While examining the first pair of statues, a solid block of ice appeared across the doorway behind her, cutting her off from the rest of the party. She was then attacked by a pair of mummy-like creatures from further down the hall. They made short work of her, dropping her to the ground.

Meanwhile, the group attempted to bring down the wall of ice with fire and blows from physical weapons. When they finally succeeded, Regi sent the dragon to investigate. Upon finding Shanys on the ground, she instructed the dragon to retrieve the ring. However, at that point, a second wall of ice covered the hall again, trapping the dragon with Shanys. Left with little recourse, the group prepped themselves quickly with a few spells and challenged the guardians. Through some good tactics and preparation, the group was able to take down the four statues that animated in fairly short order, but also triggered a fire trap that filled the hall with flames. The upside to this was that the fire also melted through the ice wall at the end of the hall, opening their passage to Shanys.

Moving in cautiously to check on her, they found that she was still breathing. However, before they could retreat, the way behind them was again blocked by another block of ice. The mummy-like creatures again attacked. The first was dispatched in short order by a number of arrows from Amiryth, but the second further down the hall cast an icy blast of cold down upon them. It too fell, however, once Kraggin was able to bring his axe to bear against it in close combat.

Thus ends Session 48."

The GM
Wednesday, January 26th 2005 - 01:51:12 PM

"Searching the area, they found that the second mummy-like creature had a rune-inscribed staff tipped with diamonds at both ends, a plain copper band, and a bronze signet ring identical to the one found earlier on the armored skeletal warrior. The hall itself ended just past the last pair of alcoves, with a stone door set in both the east and south walls. While the search was being conducted, Kraggin hacked away at the ice wall, opening a hole so that Amiryth could rejoin the group. Persephone and Regi spent some time in the hall trying to decipher the writing, but found the effort fruitless. Persephone and Liveah also discussed the nature of the dead and undead rising up even after they’d been defeated, and what could be done to stop it. With their resources depleted and most members seriously wounded, the decision was made to retreat to the base camp to rest.

The group slept through most of the daylight hours, then waiting for Liveah to recover her spell abilities. Once the group was mostly healed and prepared again, they reentered the ruins. Proceeding cautiously to the area where the corpses of the ankhegs had been encountered before, Amiryth was able to sense the presence of evil ahead. Trying to bypass the undead ankhegs, Liveah used her wand to make Kraggin invisible to undead and sent him forward into the tunnel. However, instead of zombie corpses, Kraggin encountered the shadowy, incorporeal forms of the creatures. The group was forced to battle them, but Kraggin, Amiryth, Si’Rene and Regi made short work of them.

Liveah used her power to give her the ability to sense undead and scanned the area, finding nothing further. Moving on to the chamber where they’d twice encountered the spectral plants before, the group was pleasantly surprised to find that none blocked their path. Heading deeper into the complex, they cautiously approached the area where they’d defeated the armored skeletal warrior, but found no evidence of him, his crushed bones still littering the hallway floor. Peering into the hallway where they battled the animated statues, they found the cracked remains still strewn about the floor. Crossing to the end of the hall, they searched the 2nd hallway for evidence of any traps. Finding none, they proceeded back to the far end, searching the area around the two stone doors for any traps.

Untrapped but stoutly locked, it took Shanys some effort to disable the lock on the southern door. Beyond was a hallway with some corridors leading off of it. Closing it and turning their attention to the other door, it took both Shanys and Regi some time to unlock the second portal. Beyond was another hall lined with alcoves. In each of the eight large alcoves rested a large gold-gilded and bejeweled sarcophagus. At the far end of the hall, a single large stone door was set in the wall. Liveah detected the presence of no undead, but when Regi entered the room to examine the sarcophagi, they opened and more mummified bodies stepped out from each. They quickly surrounded Regi and began to grab at her. Liveah was able to turn some of them back, but five of the eight still pressed forward in assault. Not only was the touch of the creatures painful, but when they grasped a member of the group – as they did both Regi and Liveah – they began to draw the very moisture from their bodies, physically weakening them. The fight dragged on, and the creatures’ tough bodies seemed resistant to the physical blows of the group’s weapons. Finally, the last of them were destroyed, and Kraggin, Si’Rene, and Amiryth made quick work of the ones Liveah had driven back.

At the battle’s conclusion, Persephone determined that the creatures were most likely sand mummies, undead creatures found only in the desert. A thorough search of the area showed that the sarcophagi were lined with a soft, dark metal – likely lead – that prevented Liveah from sensing their presence. The bodies were of four male and four females, and the sarcophagi were sculpted to match. Each also had a number of personal treasures on them or in the sarcophagus, including a bronze signet ring identical to the previous two discovered. Based on the carvings on the walls, the gilded sarcophagi, and the treasures entombed with the mummified bodies, Persephone indicated that these were likely important figures, possibly even kings and queens. If this is true, it would indicate that the ruin is either that of a temple or possibly even the palace.

Thus ends Session 49."

The GM
Monday, February 14th 2005 - 04:00:11 PM

"Searching the large door at the end of the burial chamber, Shanys found it locked. It took great effort to pick the lock, but she was finally successful. Readying themselves, the group pried the door open. Beyond was a large, mostly-circular chamber with a dome ceiling. In the center of the dome, a metal rod protruded down into the room. A large beaten copper statue occupied the center of the room. Off to the south, they spied an antechamber with a set of stairs. As Shanys moved into the room to begin searching for traps, the hulking copper statue stepped forward and slammed her with its fist, electrical energy sizzling as the blow landed. She retreated, and the group rushed in. Although its blows were powerful, inflicting great wounds upon the party, they brought it down in a few rounds. While fighting the golem, a lightning bolt arced out from the metal rod in the ceiling, striking the golem first then arcing again to the rest of the group.

A complete search of the room turned up nothing of interest, the stairs being blocked by a collapse. However, as the group prepared to move on, lightning again struck from the metal rod, hastening their departure from the room. They replaced the bodies of the mummified kings and queens back in their sarcophagi, sealing both rooms behind them. Once back in the corridor, group again turned their attention to the southern door. Slowly exploring the series of passages beyond. Find two dead ends, a number of doors, and one doorway, the group determined that exploring the doors first was best.

Beyond each of the four doors, they found once-luxurious rooms, seemingly intended for guests. As with the rest of the complex, all of the furnishings and trappings were worthless, rotted and tattered with age. However, a few small treasures remained. The found a small pouch of gems in one room; Regi recognized them as being crystals from a beast and claimed that they were useful as a spell component for certain types of light-based spells. She kept two, gave two to Liveah, and Kraggin took the last. They also found a single ancient silver coin in one of the chambers. With nothing more to be learned from the area, they moved on towards the doorway.

Thus ends Session 50."

The GM
Tuesday, March 8th 2005 - 12:28:27 PM

"The doorway opened up into a large chamber with a great number of columns. On the far side, a number of benches formed a gallery of sorts. On the north side, a dais rose up several steps. Two large ornate chairs rested on top. The majority of the walls and columns were covered with Apotec writings. On the south wall and in the southern corner of the east wall were two doors. However, most remarkable was the elven woman standing perfectly still on top of the dais with her hand outstretched. It was suspected that she was somehow held in temporal stasis. Using a rope, they were able to pull her free. She was quite surprised to see the group, and after some discussion, it was determined that she’d been trapped for seven or so years. The elf introduced herself as Janet and explained how she’d come to be in the room. Meanwhile, the group experimented with the dais, discovering the temporal stasis still in effect on the top level of the dais. They made some plans to try to remove the two chairs, but ultimately decided to continue exploring before making any effort on the chairs. Persephone speculated that the chairs might be thrones, and in turn the room a throne room. If this was the case, combined with what they’d found before, she felt it was more and more likely that they had indeed found Hotepma, and not just some mundane structure, but the actual seat of the Apotec Empire, the palace itself.

Through the door in the east wall, they found a mostly collapsed chamber that was empty, possibly looted long ago. The door in the south wall led into a corridor that took them some distance to another larger hallway. This tall hallway was filled with banners hanging from the ceiling in groups of 3, the individual banners of each group being identical, but each set different from the rest. A total of 9 sets could be seen, but a partial collapse at the end of the hall might have buried more. Several passages lead off from this area. The first that they explored was large hall filled with tables and benches. Heavy wall hangings and tapestries dampened the sound in the room, and a great chandelier hung from the ceiling. A raised platform held a single table that was exceptionally nice, as were the chairs that lined one side of it. They had even survived the ravages of time. One of the corridors from the room led to a series of six rooms that appeared to be designed for servants. A second corridor led only a short distance before ending in rubble and sand. A third corridor stretched off into darkness.

Returning to the hall of banners, they moved into another wide corridor to the south. This one had statues lining it in a series of alcoves. The statues seemed to represent male and female pairs of several different subject areas; the first were nude athletes, the second were lovers, and the third were dancers. Each sculpture was done in exceptional detail and showed the efforts of a master craftsman. The far end of the corridor was also collapsed, like many others in this area.

They also found a storeroom with a rotted door off of the hall of banners; it was filled with worthless dinner service and linens, perhaps intended for the large dining hall a short distance away.

Thus ends Session 51."

The GM
Tuesday, March 15th 2005 - 02:47:00 PM

"Returning to the hall of banners, they moved down to the far end where the ceiling was partially collapsed. Shanys began to investigate the path leading through the rubble. The found that it eventually opened into a larger room. However, little of the room could be seen other that a section of wall directly ahead, and some areas of the floor and ceiling. Much of the area had suffered extensive damage. Kraggin examined the area from the entrance to it and determined that the entire room was highly unstable.

As the group debated their options, without warning, Kraggin turned on Reggi, smashing her with his spiked fist. Shocked by his action, she backed away, placing a magical shield between them. Kraggin pressed the attack, moving alongside her and striking her down with a mighty blow. He then turned on Si’Rene and attacked her as well. The group engaged Kraggin, trying to bring him down quickly before he could cause further loss. They were eventually able to bring him down, and thanks to some non-lethal damage from Si’Rene and Shanys, they did so without killing him. However, just when they though things were finished, a pale ghostly image of a house cat arose from Kraggin’s body, its features twisted in a horrific mask of rage. Liveah reacted quickly, pulling one of the recently discovered crystals from her pouch and using it to strengthen her spell, blasting the ghost kitty into oblivion with a searing burst of light.

Sergosh shouldered Reggi’s lifeless body, and Amiryth used some minor healing to bring Kraggin back to his feet. With a member dead and their resources completely tapped from exploring, they retreated all the way back to the entrance. Along the way, the discovered that the spectral plants had again returned. Once again, Liveah blasted them with her divine power, clearing a path for the group to move through.

Back at camp, the group met with Persephone about seeking help. However, with no help close, Liveah presented another option. She proposed that they use a spell to contact someone known to her that might be able to provide aid. Persephone indicated that there was indeed someone in Bluffside that had the ability to send aid to them, so long as he could be contacted and their needs made known to him. They set about to creating a list of needs and making the message as efficient as possible. When ready, Liveah contacted the Lady Pomander with their request. In turn, she received a reply that the Lady understood and would do as requested.

Several hours later, a loud pop was heard, and a man appeared in the center of the campsite. Persephone came out to greet the man, and they exchanged pleasantries before settling down to business. Persephone emptied much of the contents of her portable hole to pay for the items her friend brought. He, in turn, placed her payment within a hole of his own. Shanys also turned over a number of the gems that the party had collected to help pay for the items. With their business completed, Persephone’s contact teleported away back to Bluffside.

Liveah took the scroll that was purchased and used it to return Reggi to life. Liveah also used some of the diamond dust that was brought to restore Sergosh’s lost wisdom. The group then used the wand they’d purchased to restore the lost ability points many of the rest of them had suffered. Janet used this time to take the opportunity to speak with Persephone more about what she and the party were doing here in the desert, and how Janet might fit into their plans.

Thus ends Session 52."

The GM
Tuesday, March 15th 2005 - 03:44:07 PM

"After restoring Reggi to life, the group discussed spending some time above ground to rest and restore spells. Deciding instead to press on, the group then descended into the city once again. At the spectral plants, they found that they had not come back. Back in the halls of statues, one on the mummies was still in the spot where it was left, while the other was back up against the wall. Liveah and Janet determined that while the gentle repose was ineffective on the undead, burial blessing did prevent them from rising again. After a protracted battle with the remaining mummy, Kragin and Shogar were able to finish it off.

They returned to the site of Reggi’s death to retrieve the dragon statue that had been left behind in their haste to retreat to the surface. Reggi reactivated the construct while the party debated about continuing through the dangerous rubbled-filled room. Instead, the group decided to return to the great dining hall and follow the passage leading from it. Some distance down it opened into another series of hallways. Shanys led on point, finding a number of doors and passageways to explore. Moving to the first doorway, they found it to be unlocked. Beyond was a room with little more than decrepit remains of a guard station, including a weapon rack with rusted weapons. Immediately upon entering the room, the group found themselves besieged by shadowy shapes. The wraiths resisted Liveah’s attempt to turn them, but the group slowly beat them down. One, perhaps some sort of leader to the rest, gave them more difficultly, appearing to strike suddenly and then disappearing again through the walls. Waiting and readying themselves, the group used a concerted effort to focus all their attacks on it the next time it appeared, successfully destroying it. With no treasure, the group moved quickly to the next room.

The next room had to be unlocked by Shanys, and revealed a space once richly appointed. Split by a red silken divider, the area nearest to the door was furnished with a few chairs, a bookcase and a writing desk with chair. Beyond the divider, the remainder of the room contained a bed and a dresser. The bed was covered with a moth eaten canopy and bedding, and the clothing in the drawers was in the same condition. They were able to determine that the clothing appeared to be styled for a man. Nothing else of interest caught their attention, so they moved on.

Further down the hallway, the group came to a well-made door. It took considerable effort to pick the lock on the door. Inside, they found a library full of books. In the center of the room resting on a large pedestal was a large book with a well-made lock on it. After some work Shays was able to pick the lock, but not before it was responsible for bending one of Reggi’s lock picks. The lock itself was constructed of adamantine and solidly made. Upon opening the book, it was found to have pages of thinly hammered gold. Each page was covered with raised characters in 5 columns. Between each gold page was a layer of padding to protect them from touching each other. Each of the 5 columns on the pages was written in a different ancient language. Dahelar, the ancient form of Shakandaran common, occupied the left-most column on the pages, and was a language that could be translated through the use of magic or by a linguist versed in it. To Persephone’s delight, the column immediately next to the Dahelar text was written in Apotec characters. It appeared that the party had finally found their primer for translating the ancient language of the Apotec. Janet performed some limited testing on the book, unwilling to subject it directly to any magical influences.

While Janet was experimenting with the book, Reggi and Shanys searched the library for any other surviving books of interest. They found only an oddly shaped tall, slender book that lost one of its pages when it was opened. The group also discovered another door in the back of the library. It led to a short hall that ended in a collapsed set of stairs leading up. Outside, the hall continued around the outside of the library and off into darkness…

Thus ends Session 53."

The GM
Wednesday, April 6th 2005 - 03:35:26 PM

"After searching the library and room attached, the group backtracked to the hallway near the room where they encountered the wraiths. While Shanys was checking the hall she triggered a trap, causing a section of the wall to spring out and crush her. She was able to jump out of the way before being struck a second time. Using the iron dragon’s improved sight ability, Reggi learned that the 5’x5’ section of the floor at the trap contained an invisible pressure plate. Unable to locate and disable the mechanism for the trap, they attempted to jump over it. Kraggin made the leap without difficulty. However, Reggi was not so lucky, and she landed short, triggering the trap and causing the wall to slam her. As she attempted to tumble off, she was hit again, and fell unconscious to the floor at Kraggin’s feet. Kraggin was able to stabilize her, and Liveah jumped across to provide aid. She too was stuck, but got across with Kraggin’s assistance. She then used her magic to mend some of Reggi’s wounds. Amiryth provided further aid by conjuring a bolt of white light, sending it streaking across to hit Reggi and improve her health further.

Deciding not to risk Persephone’s life in the trap, she remained behind with Amiryth, Si’Rene and Shanys to guard her. Moving down the hall, Reggi, Kraggin and Liveah found a door that lead to a closet with lots of old rotted clothes, all of it appearing to belong to servants. The three of them continued on and came to a stone door. Reggi determined there were no traps, but found that it was locked. She set to it with her picks but was unable to open it. Once they notified the others of their discovery, Shanys used some flour to help her locate the pressure plate for the trap. Once she was able to see it, she carefully wedged a number of pitons under the edge, preventing it from springing while they crossed it. With everyone across, they proceeded back to the stone door, where Shanys was able to pick the lock.

Inside they found another armory, and in the middle of the room was a model of the city. After examining it for some time, Persephone was able to determine that one of the structures must be the palace, and they were likely inside of it. She was also able to determine that a second large structure in the model would be a temple, and based on the model, she should be able to locate the ruins of it under the sand as well. The rest of the room was scattered with weapons and armor, most of which was rusted and useless. However, Kraggin found an interesting sword among the useless weapons. Made of the same metal as the swords they’d encountered before in the secret armory, its jagged blade was unlike anything any of them had seen before. Reggi found an unstrung composite bow that seemed to require a great deal of strength to use. Si’Rene’s searches turned up a mithral chain shirt as well. Reggi again called upon the iron dragon’s special sight to search for invisible items on the model, but it found none. However, when she had it scan the rest of the room, the dragon noted there was a concealed door on the back wall.

As Liveah checked the halls around the room, Shanys searched the room. Reggi, unable to find the door the dragon noted, cast knock to open the door. However, doing so set off a trap that sprayed a cloud of dust out into the room, blinding her, Si’Rene and Amiryth. Liveah returned to the room to determine what had affected them, but was unable to repair the blindness that afflicted them. Only a few minutes later, the three that had been blinded suddenly felt weak as the dust further affected them. Liveah was able to dismiss the weakness by using their recently acquired wand of restoration. With little else that could be done about the blindness for the moment, the group decided the best course of action would be to retreat to camp. However, since the concealed door was already open and the trap sprung, they would first finish investigating the room beyond.

Beyond the concealed door, they found a small room with a low stone table. On top of the table, laid out as if to arm a warrior for battle, were a number of items, including a scabbard containing a thin-bladed short sword made of gray metal, a large shield in the shape of a roaring lion’s head, a thick leather belt with studs, a chain shirt of the same material as that found earlier in the secret armory but crafted of very fine links, a helmet, a strung longbow made of white wood and a quiver. A number of vials lined the shelves in the room, numbering 24 in total, and all containing fluid. An examination of their auras revealed all of the items in the chamber to be magical. Collecting them up, the group returned to the surface. Along the way, however, they encountered a ghostly spirit approaching them down one of the halls. Liveah was able to turn it away with the power of her deity. She also summoned her power to make certain that the way was clear in the solarium. Returning to the surface, they rested through the afternoon. Only Amiryth did not, instead purifying her aura to examine some of the recently discovered items.

After resting, Liveah was able to cure the blindness of Reggi, Si’Rene and Amiryth. Amiryth immediately began working on the items, learning that the leather belt was a lesser belt of giant strength, and that the chain shirt held a moderate enchantment on it. However, a further examination of the aura of the chain shirt by Liveah indicated that it had another more powerful enchantment on it as well. Amiryth was unable to determine the magical nature of the helm, but experimentation with the quiver earlier revealed that it would produce finely crafted arrows that lasted just long enough to be nocked in a bow and fired before disappearing. Amiryth tried out the white bow, and found that upon drawing back the string, the bow whispered ‘Swift defeat to my enemies’ in elven, giving her a clue to its nature. She promptly claimed the bow and the quiver for herself.

Thus ends Session 54."

The GM
Tuesday, April 12th 2005 - 12:09:06 PM

"Janet used her skills in alchemy to determine the nature of the potions. Some of them eluded her for a time, but eventually she was able to identify all of them. The potions were then divided among the group as they finished their preparations to re-enter the palace. Heading back in, the group again encountered the incorporeal forms of the slain ankhegs. Kraggin went in first to engage the abominations; Liveah invoked Propheras’ power to hold them at bay while the rest of the group finished them off.

Returning to the deepest parts of the palace, the group continued around past the library. In the corridors beyond, Shanys discovered another trap on the floor that caused the wall to spring out. Using pitons as before, she spiked it so the could pass, and the corridor brought them back to the area of the armory. While at the armory, they lifted the table and lowered it into the portable hole. Following another passage, Shanys found some doors and another wall trap. Disabling it, the group went back and explored the doors. Beyond the first door, they found a room with a few rusted weapons and broken chairs, likely another guard station life the first they’d found. The second room was filled with serving ware and utensils. The third room had some military clothing and equipment. Nothing from any of these rooms was deemed worth taking.

Moving forward into some larger hallways, they explored a number of other areas, finding a wash room with a long-dry basin for cleaning linens, a spice or herb closet, a room with hook in the ceiling that could have served as a meat locker if it were chilled, and a storage area that held decrepit crates and barrels, probably once used to store dry goods. Beyond these, they also found a large kitchen area for food preparation. A second door in the kitchen lead out into a hallway; the hallway connected with one of the previous halls.

In this hallway they also found a stone door. Shanys searched the door and attempted to unlock the door. While she succeeded in picking the lock, she also triggered a needle that sprung from the lock and pierced her. After dealing with the trap, Shanys picked the second lock on the door as well. Entering, they found a number of tables; there were also slate boards on the wall. A cabinet with rotted burlap sacks was discovered in one corner. There was also a set of stone double doors on the south wall.

Shanys searched the doors and then set to work on picking the dual locks. However, once again she discovered that she’d missed the trap hidden within the workings, and a cloud of gas spilled out into the room, weakening a number of the group. They took a moment to regroup, cure some of their afflictions, and magically fortify themselves before tackling the doors again. Reggi and Shanys worked together to first find and disable the trap, and then open the doors. They even resorted to using magic on the locks to finally open them. Sensing danger, they prepared for a battle as they opened the doors.

Piles of gold, platinum, silver and copper coins greeted them as they looked in to the chamber. However, sitting atop them was a skeletal snake-like creature with a humanoid skull. It hissed something at them in a language they could not comprehend, and Shanys promptly closed the doors again. As the group retreated, the beast threw open the doors and threatened Kraggin. Kraggin called for the party to leave and engaged it to slow it down. The party seemed to either not hear or heed his instructions. The battle increased in intensity, with the bone creature raining down lightning upon the group. The group found its own magic to be less than effective against the creature, and even their physical blows seemed to fail to cause it significant harm. Then came the turning point in the battle; the creature blocked them in to the room with it by sealing the doorway with a force wall. Then it stuck Shanys down with a death spell, killing her instantly. Janet tried to escape with another member, but found that her teleport spell failed. The creature then summoned a wave of deadly energy, and Si’Rene, Amiryth and Liveah fell to it. The creature then unleashed a pair of black bolts that sapped away some of the life energy of Janet and Sergosh. Still they battled on against it, but it let loose with another blast of lightning, and Kraggin, Janet and Reggi fell to it. With only Sergosh to deal with, the creature made short work of him. Helpless to stop it or help the party, Persephone fled.

Thus ends Session 55"

The GM
Wednesday, April 20th 2005 - 05:20:27 PM

"With little choice, Persephone cautiously made her way back to the camp outside the palace ruins. Able to come up with only one solution, she returned to the room the following day with the caravan master. There, they found the bodies of the group where they fell, stripped of all their valuables and magical possessions. The bone naga had apparently taken what it wanted and retreated to the treasury vault, the doors closed once more. Together, Persephone and the caravan master moved the bodies to throne room and placed them in the temporal stasis field atop the dais, hoping that the effects would prevent them from rising as undead.

Having overheard the group discuss returning to Skull Keep during their times of rest, Persephone hoped that she might be able to request aid from there. She sent the caravan master off to Skull Keep on his fastest camel with a note requesting aid, identifying who was in need of help, what could be offered in exchange, and where they were. After more than two days of hard riding, the caravan master reached the necromancy school and delivered the note to Calconon. Surprised at the information contained therein, he in turn gave the note to Bellamy. Intrigued by Persephone’s description of where they were and what they’d found, he first gathered some supplies. Bellamy also brought with him an associate, the large, dark warrior Damien (who appeared much like a blackguard), and went down to meet the caravan master. Bellamy then whisked the four of them - including the caravan master’s camel - back to Hotepma.

Meeting up with Persephone, they wasted little time in entering the ruined palace. Damien made short work of the undead plants and other creatures that blocked their path, destroying everything in their path until they reached the vault. There, Bellamy and Damien battled and dispatched the bone naga. Retrieving the contents of the treasury, they then returned to the throne room and removed the group’s bodies from the temporal stasis field. Bellamy proceeded to raise the fallen party and noticed something odd when he revived them. Each seemed to have been afflicted by the odd nature of the place, not returning to quite their normal selves as a result of the experience. Bellamy proceeded to explain to each of them what he could understand of their transformation.

Persephone explained to the party that she sent for Bellamy and his companion to assist, in return offering them the contents of the vault as partial payment. To account for the remainder of their services, Bellamy requested a number of other items, including Reggi’s iron dragon construct, Kraggin’s ring of the dauntless, and Shanys’ ring of protection, as well as a number of other items. Bellamy indicated that the iron dragon was a non-negotiable part of the bargain, but that he would be willing to negotiate over anything else. The party was able to keep Shanys’ ring by offering a number of other items, and Kraggin traded a year of service to retain his ring. Bellamy agreed to the service, with the provision that Kraggin would turn over the ring to Bellamy for study the first time he came to serve.

With their bodies restored and re-equipped with their gear, the party returned to the camp. There, Persephone used the miniature map to determine where the temple should be and moved the camp to that area. Again using Persephone’s staff, Amiryth began excavating the sand to attempt to locate an entrance. After a number of tries, an opening finally appeared, and the group prepared themselves to enter. Inside, they followed a short hallway of white stone, like that of the palace, to a foyer area. There, they moved through an old door into a room filled with stone tables. Examining the tables, tools, and trappings of the room, the group suspected that the room was some sort of corpse preparation area. Attached to the room was a small area that appeared to hold supplies for the preparation area. Moving out into a large hall, they found a number of huge support columns. The columns were 30 feet tall and square, with each face having images carved upon them. Shanys did a brief bit of recon in the room, determining that there were no fewer than 12 such columns in the room, and that the chamber was partially collapsed on the far end.

Thus ends Session 56."

The GM
Wednesday, May 11th 2005 - 01:18:04 PM

"It was at this point that Janet reminded the group that the touch of her skin would destroy any organic material that had not been treated against aging. The group was able to come up with a leather skirt and belt for her to wear as makeshift clothes, and Reggi lent Janet her glove of storing so that she would be able to hold her spellbook and components. While she dressed, Shanys explored further into the room with the columns, where she was ambushed by a band of undead creatures. The group came to her aid, but Shanys was paralyzed with fear before they could reach her. Liveah attempted to turn them with limited success, but more of the creatures poured forth from the dark reaches of the chamber. The shambling gait of the bandaged undead cause several other members of he group to panic, but gradually, Kraggin, Si’Rene, and Amiryth smash their way through them, surprisingly with the help of Persephone. Turning their attention to the ones turned away by Liveah, they quickly destroyed those as well. However, the encounter was not without cost; several members of the group, including Shanys and Si’Rene, we afflicted by the rotting touch of the mummies.

When it was determined that nothing could be done immediately to aid them, the group discussed what to do with the mummies, as Liveah had too few spells to prevent their rise from the dead. Considering the possibility that they might be able to lock them away within one of the other rooms here, they explored the door found in the large chamber. While finding nothing of interest in the room, they also discovered that the poor condition of the door wouldn’t hold the mummies long when they would arise again.

Continuing to explore the room, Liveah noted that the pillars at the far end of the room were partially damaged; inside, the pillars contained hollowed areas that appeared to be burial chambers of some kind. As she and Persephone examined the pillars further, they came to the conclusion that the pillars were the tombs of many of the faithful priests and templars of the Great Provider; each pillar had 4 sides and was stacked 3 levels high, indicating that there could be as many as a dozen bodies entombed within each of the dozen pillars of the room. The group quickly came to the conclusion that the mummified undead that attacked them might well have come from within the damaged pillars. When Liveah cast a divination to search for undead, she was horrified to discover that each pillar possessed the aura of many undead. Concluding that they wanted no further business with them, the group quickly moved on through the rubble at the far end of the chamber.

Following Liveah’s somewhat random wanderings through the rubble, they came to an area where they discovered a large block of stone lying on the rubble on the floor. Nearly complete, it appeared to be much like the face of one of the sections of the columns from the previous chamber. While examining the block, Reggi noticed something beneath it. With Kraggin and Si’Rene lifting, Reggi was able to retrieve the object from beneath the slab. The object was a small, round pink and green stone with a small chip in it, possibly from the stone slab being on top of it. After determining that the stone was magical, Reggi experimented with it by tossing it into the air. She was pleased to discover that it began to orbit her head, but she was unable to learn anything further of its properties.

In the next area, Liveah discovered how dangerous it can be to lead when she very nearly stumbled into a freshly dug pit. Sending Kraggin down into the pit failed to produce any further information on the pit, as did examining the area around it for tracks of any kind. At a dead end, they backtracked to the previous area to determine where to go next.

Thus ends Session 57."

The GM
Tuesday, June 7th 2005 - 10:02:39 PM

"Moving away from the pit, the group emerged from the rubble into a hemispherical room some 35’ in diameter. Around the perimeter of the room were 9 alters, each with benches or pillows in front, and a number of minor treasures decorating them. Persephone mused that the structure was most likely a “unity chapel,” where priests of different faiths could come to pray when visiting the temple of another deity. Shanys and Liveah were quite interested in the heavy tome resting on one of the alters and spent some time examining it, finally replacing it where it was found. With some effort, they were able to identify the majority of the alters. A door also lead from the room, down a very short hall, to a small room with racks of scrolls. Sadly, age had found its way here as well, turning all the scrolls so brittle as to crumble to the slightest touch. A thorough search of the room produced nothing further of interest.

Retreating back through the rubble, the group turned towards an area where they could see worked stone again rather than exploring the other ruined areas. This decision would prove nearly fatal later.

Finding several doors, Shanys carefully examined and unlocked the first. Kraggin opened the door to reveal a library of some sort. With the aid of a divination from Janet, the group found one book among the lot that was not worthless. Careful searching by Shanys produced a second book that was not wholly worthless either. Persephone and Liveah found the first book to be written in Apotec and filled with a number of drawings, maps, and other writings on how to find a tower in an unspecified area. The second book, written in Dahelar, contained detailed notes on alchemy.

As they moved further into the areas still standing, the group was surprised from the rear as a trio of umber hulks closed in behind them, cutting off their retreat. Trying to save Persephone, Reggi used displacement upon her, but the first of the beasts were able to penetrate the effect and struck her down. Janet followed her to the ground shortly thereafter under the onslaught of the creatures. Some party members were rendered confused by the gaze of the creatures, randomly attacking one another or even wandering away from the battle. Amiryth and Si’Rene were able to keep their wits about them long enough to defeat the creatures and regroup the party. It was only through great fortune that the umber hulks did not take more advantage of the terrain to trap the group and make things much worse for them.

Badly beaten by the encounter, the decision was made to return to the surface to rest. Before doing so, Shanys did her best to hack whatever parts she could take from the umber hulk corpses. When she was done, Liveah chose to use her spells of burial blessing to lay the spirits of the umber hulks to rest permanently. The third was carried back outside with the group to observe whether or not living creatures killed within the cursed ruins would rise up as undead outside in the desert sands.

Thus ends Session 58."

The GM
Tuesday, June 7th 2005 - 10:53:57 PM

"Needing to heal their injuries and tend to the three members of the group afflicted by the mummy’s touch, the group rested for half a day. Sergosh, Liveah and Amiryth used their abilities to cure the disease, then the remainder of the group was healed. Some time was taken to prepare some additional protections and enhancements for the group before re-entering the temple.

Opting to explore the passage and door close to the entrance before moving on, Shanys searched at the door before Kraggin went into the room beyond. A table and chairs, all looking to be in poor condition, occupied the center of the room. In one chair, a suit of blackened articulated armor slumped, looking as if still being worn. The suit rose as Kraggin approached. Moving forward and engaging it, he was quickly reminded of his own mortality after the thing hammered him several times with a razor-sharp, vile looking sword. The rest of the group, excluding Persephone, moved in to engage both in melee as well as with spells. Janet found the creature extremely resistant to her magic, as her spells were turned aside again and again. Liveah called upon her clerical powers to heal Kraggin’s wounds to let him continue the fight. The black knight quickly turned his attention to Sergosh, concentrating his attacks on the battle priest. With vicious fury, the final blow from the black warrior felled the cleric. The power of the blow carried on, and the black knight struck Liveah with the blade as well. The group began fighting a retreat, attempting to escape the wrath of the creature, but it detonated a blast of hellfire that engulfed most of the group. Perhaps over-confident in victory, the black knight attempted to steal Amiryth’s life with a touch, but her body’s will has strong and she was able to resist. Finally, Si’Rene finished the creature with a mighty blow from her weapon, but the damage had already been done. The group collected the death knight’s scarred armor, brutal weapon, and magical stones, as well as Sergosh’s corpse, and retreated back out the hall to the camp.

With no way to revive Shergosh currently within their means, his gear was divided for among those who could make use of it. Kraggin took up the death knight’s weapon, determined to wield it in coming battles. Again, the group repaired its wounds before re-entering the temple to continue exploring. Beyond the area where the death knight was encountered, they found a room with some collapsed areas, and a foot locker containing some clues to its apparent past, all of which was rotted and very old. With nowhere further to explore in the area, the decision was made to go continue on through the areas they’d previously explored.

As they passed through the tomb of the priests, Amiryth thought she heard something. As she concentrated, it sounded to her as an amalgam of whispered, undead voices, nothing being discernable. Going deeper into the cavern area where the umber hulks were battled, the group investigated the other area of the collapse, discovering more evidence of broken pillar tombs and signs that the umber hulks had laid hidden here as the group passed by. The area had the look of a lair for the beasts, or at least a place they might have used as a temporary home in the ruined temple.

Moving beyond the door where the group was surprised by the umber hulks, they found a number of passageways leading off to other passages, doors, and chambers. Moving into the nearest area, they explored the somewhat circular chamber and found many bedrolls and ancient cots. Some stains on the scraps of remaining material gave the group cause to believe that the area might have been an infirmary of some kind long ago. A ruined room adjacent to the chamber held remnants of bandages and healing equipment, giving credence to this theory. While exploring the circular area, Shanys heard voices, as did Amiryth. This time, a sorrow could be detected in the tone. A door to the north was opened, revealing a large room with numerous collapses, a small room in the center with a door facing the party, and a collapsed cave area near the back.

Thus ends Session 59."

The GM
Wednesday, June 15th 2005 - 05:27:34 PM

"Searching the large room, Shanys found nothing of significance, other than some slick, wet areas around the room in various areas. Janet examined the spots, but was unable to determine exactly what they were, nor what might have caused them. Shanys then worked on the lock to the smaller room, and Kraggin opened the door. Inside, they found another storage area, seemingly devoted entirely to supplies for tending wounds or preparing bodies for burial. Among the many jars, pots, and glasswear, they found a number of pots and bottles that radiated as magical. Liveah also discovered one jar that she determined to be poison, which she kept in her possession.

As the group exited the small room following their exploration of it, a slimey black pseudopod dropped down on the back of his neck from above the doorway. As it made contact with him, he could feel the touch of the grave that it carried. Worse, he found that it left a piece of itself attached to him. Amiryth and Si’Rene came out and attacked the creature while Janet and Reggi peppered it with magical missiles. Si’Rene and Amiryth were also touched by the necromantic ooze, but Si’Rene discovered that Liveah’s ward against death effects rendered her immune to its attacks. Si’Rene struck the killing blow against the creature. Parts of the creature had attached itself to Amiryth and Si’Rene as well, but they were able to cut and burn the residue away.

Moving into the cave-like collapsed area in the back of the room, Shanys took point, searching as she went. She was surprised by another of the slime creatures, but evaded its attack. This time the group was more prepared for the battle, and Amiryth, Kraggin and Si’Rene quickly responded to the threat, with Si’Rene delivering the killing blow. Among the slimey, wet rubble of the area, the group located a gold ring, a mace, and a pearly white stone, all of which promptly detected as being magical.

A quick debate followed over whether to continue to explore or return to the surface to rest and recover spells. It was finally decided that they would take a quick look through the door out of the room to determine if it was something that could be explored quickly or might lead to further exploration in the temple. After inspecting and opening the door, the group was greeted by the sight of a large, partially-collapsed room with another smaller room inside of it. Deciding that this was too much to explore quickly, the group retraced its steps to the surface.

Liveah went to work healing the groups injuries from their battles before everyone settled down to rest. Shanys and Kraggin took turns watching the corpse of the umber hulk to make sure that it did not rise up again. It did not, proving at least the theory that those that are killed inside the ruins will not rise as undead if they are brought to the surface. Once everyone had rested, Janet and Amiryth spent some time preparing to identify the magical properties of some of their recent discoveries. In the meantime, Reggi poured over her spellbook to increase her knowledge.

Thus ends Session 60."

The GM
Friday, June 17th 2005 - 04:45:47 PM

"Rested and ready, the group bravely entered back into the temple ruins. They again encountered the mummies in the burial chamber; Liveah again invoked her goddess’s name, turning the undead back so that group could dispatch them again with out too much difficulty.

Pushing on past the unmoving corpses of the defeated umber hulks, they paused briefly at the archway that returned back to where they were the previous day. Hearing nothing, they moved in and searched the room. As with the previous room, they found another small room located inside the larger hall. Inside the small room, the group uncovered a a hodgepodge of items, including some liquor (identified as ice spirits, an ancient alcoholic beverage not seen in many years), sacramental wine, vials of holy water, several maces crafted from the lightweight Apotec steel, and a piece of fabric apparently made of the same metal. A quick exploration of the rest of the large hall revealed more collapses, blocking off any further exploration of this area.

Moving back out from the rooms to the main hallway, Shanys gradually moved through the halls, searching them. Discovering that they circled around and rejoined earlier passageways. Moving back to the first door (with little left but hinges and splinters of wood), the rooms beyond were finely furnished, yet not opulent. As the room was being searched, they discovered a velvet-lined box. Although the box and lining were in poor condition, it contained a number of gem stones, very similar in appearance to the Ioun stones used by some party members. Reggi invoked a divination and immediately discerned that the gems were magical. She also swept the room, finding a number of other items that also were magical in nature. Using Reggi’s divination, the group collected the items she pointed out, including a vestment, a candle, a scarab, an amulet, and a wristband.

Moving into the connecting room, the group found it to be decorated as a bedroom suite, again very posh but not extravagant. Reggi’s divination ferreted out another magical aura coming from the armoire; Shanys searched it and found a secret compartment in the bottom of the large piece of furniture. Double trapped in a long box, Shanys carefully extracted the staff from inside it. Shod in gold at both ends, the oaken staff contained strong magic. When Liveah took the staff in her hands, she immediately knew it to be a potent Staff of Life, capable of healing any injury and even resurrecting the dead. Though drained of all but a little of its magic, it was still a surprising and welcomed find.

Thus ends session 61."

The GM
Wednesday, July 6th 2005 - 04:22:07 PM

"Moving across the hall from the luxurious rooms where they discovered numerous treasures, the group found themselves in areas more befitting acolytes of the temple. Spartanly furnished and decorated, the eight sets of beds and footlockers indicated communal living generally reserved for those of lower station. However, in one of the chests they discovered a piece of coal. Reggi and Kraggin both examined it, and after some experimenting, it was determined to be a very special type of coal generally found only deep underground. Liveah and Janet both recognized it by name as something that could be used to augment their spellcasting of fire-related spells.

Moving around the corner, Shanys set to work upon the lock set in the stone door she found there. Once opened, the door revealed a pair of adjoining rooms. The second area appeared to be a bedroom of some sort, while the area directly in front of them looked like a study or workshop of some kind. Exploration of the room was abruptly interrupted when a large crystal ball rolled from the desk, hovering when it reached the edge rather than falling to the ground. At that point, a number of gem-like stones from the desk rose up and began orbiting the crystal ball. More surprising, all of the ioun stones from the group – including those not in orbit around their bearers – went streaking off to orbit around the crystal ball as well. With the stones in orbit around the center ball, the object took on a hypnotic effect, and several members of the group were ensnared by its dazzling effect. Then it began to lash out with rays from the various stones, injuring the group through measures that seemed directly tied to the type of stone releasing the ray. The group fought back, but found their magic ineffective against it, and were unable to successfully hit the crystal ball with physical attacks. Liveah and Kraggin were both dominated by the globe into attacking other members of the group.

With no choice left, Amiryth and Si’Rene began targeting the stones orbiting the crystal ball, seeking to deprive if of its attacks against the group. As the last of the 16 stones were destroyed, the crystal ball seemed to lose whatever magic it had. It fell to the ground and shattered. As the group examined the room, they discovered that apparently there had been some sort of anti-magic field binding the crystal ball, but it had failed, allowing the globe to escape and activate when they entered the room. The pair of rooms produced nothing further of interest, other than appearing to be the shared dwelling of two of the Temple’s priests.

With a rest in order, the group returned to the surface. Once there, Liveah used the magic of the Staff of Life to return Sergosh to the living. However, at that point he promptly announced his decision to leave the group. He offered his apologies, as well as several pieces of his gear, before taking his payment from Persephone and departing on a camel.

Thus ends session 62."

The GM
Sunday, July 31st 2005 - 09:52:41 PM

"In need of re-supply, the caravan master took the camels and bearers off to the nearby oasis. While they were gone, the group remained on the surface to rest a bit and better prepare themselves for further trips into the ruined Temple. Amiryth spent some of the time working to decipher the magics of the items the group had discovered recently. In the end, she learned that the vest would protect someone from magical effects, the leather thong was a soul tether, and that the amulet would aid Liveah in turning back the undead of Hotepma.

Reggi used the time to learn several new spells from her books, while Janet worked with her alchemy equipment to discover the nature of the potions they’d found. Shanys and Liveah discussed an affliction that they’d both been feeling, finally coming to the conclusion that they both began experiencing it shortly after touching the magical book from the altar in the Unity Chapel. Realizing that there must be some sort of curse or magical affliction affecting them both, they determined they would need to investigate it at the next opportunity. They then argued over the poison Liveah found; Shanys desired it and Liveah refused to turn it over. Instead, she passed it to Kraggin, who promptly offered it to Shanys.

In the morning of their second day on the surface, while awaiting the return of the caravan, a solo rider appeared out of the desert. Amazingly, it was Kastor, the group’s former companion. Explaining that he’d completed his atonement, he encountered Rian while searching for the group in Bluffside. When Rian told him what had occurred after his departure, Kastor determined that he would go to Bartertown to try to locate the group. There, he was sent to the oasis, where he met the caravan leader, who directed him to the base camp.

The caravan returned later that day, and the group again descended into Hotepma, this time with a new companion. When they reached the burial chamber of pillars, the mummies again came out of the darkness to attack. This time, Liveah did not merely drive the creatures back, but vaporized them to ash through the might of her deity aided by the power of the new amulet. They then returned to the Unity Chapel to try to reason out why Shanys and Liveah were so afflicted, and what they could do to rectify it. Initial attempts were unsuccessful.

Thus ends session 63."

The GM
Wednesday, August 17th 2005 - 11:24:49 AM


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